BRIEGE RAISES A DIFFERENT GREEN FLAG.
Rusheen N.S. had cause for great celebration last week when the school raised it’s first An Taisce Green Flag for Litter and Waste Management. All-Ireland Winning Captain, former past pupil and local heroine Briege Corkery was the guest of honour. The Green Flag is a symbol of the school’s environmental sustainability and awarded to schools in their efforts in reducing waste and controlling litter.
Rusheen National School’s garden enhances the beautiful local environment. The vegetable and flower patches were complemented with the planting of a herb garden in our recently rescued famine pots. The garden boasts many notable features, but the main attraction this year was the beautiful butterfly garden which was created by pupils, parents and teachers co-operating together. The awarding of this flag is a testament to the work of the Green School Committee, which includes pupils, Tadhg Anthony Sheehan, Oisìn O’Neill, Kia Stevenson, Cloe O’Driscoll, Finn Stevenson and Clodagh O’Riordan, parents, Julian O’Leary and Cait Sheehan and teachers, Christy Twomey and Gerard Coakley.
Rusheen N.S. pupils, staff, friends, guests and members of local organisations enjoyed the day of celebration around the flag raising ceremony. 6th Class pupil Oisìn O’Neill outlined how the Green Flag was achieved. Guest speaker, Mary Stack, from the Cork County Council encouraged the pupils to continue with their good habits and to strive to attain more green flags in the future while Principal, Gerard Coakley, thanked everybody for all their great efforts in achieving this award. All the different class groupings preformed some poetry and songs for the large attendance under the guidance of Speech and Drama Teacher, Martina Ring. Briege Corkery then made a speech before she raised the Green Flag saying that just like football that if you put in the hard work you will be rewarded. She then raised the green flag helped by members of the Green School Committee to a big round of applause.
The ceremony concluded with a rousing rendition of the School’s Green Code Rap, “Rusheen to the Green”, composed by the Green School Committee and 5th and 6th class pupils. After that it was party time for the rest of the day for all present and wonderful catering was provided by members of the Parents’ Association.
